CentiMark's History

“While CentiMark has many assets, our greatest strengths have always been and will continue to be the dedication and hard work of our associates. Together, we work hard and work smart.” - Edward B. Dunlap, Chairman & CEO, CentiMark

1968-1970s: BeginningEdward B. Dunlap started D&B Laboratories as a part-time industrial cleaning products business in the basement of his home in Pittsburgh, PA, and then started Northern Chemical Company (later Northern Industrial Maintenance) with $1,000 and one associate in 1968. The upstart building maintenance products and services business produced first-year sales of $98,500.

In response to customer needs, the company shifted from product sales to installation, maintenance and repair of commercial roofs and floors.

By 1974, sales reached $1 million. The first sales office outside Pittsburgh was established in 1976 in Harrisburg, PA, as the company began its geographic expansion.

The entrepreneurial Dunlap took a chance on a new product: a single-ply rubber (EPDM) roof system. The newly developed roofing membrane was durable, waterproof and cost-effective and became one of the fastest-growing roofing products in the industry. The company was casually known as “the rubber roofing company.”

In 1978, salesman Steve Hecht sold the company’s first rubber roof to a school in St. Mary’s, PA. On the roofing crew that installed that roof was Dunlap’s son, Tim Dunlap (now CentiMark’s President and COO).

1980s: GrowthStarting with $5 million in sales in 1980, the company reached $50 million in sales by 1989. With geographic expansion, Dunlap’s divisions of Northern Industrial Maintenance and Southern Industrial Maintenance needed a common brand. Thus, the company rebranded as CentiMark Corporation in 1987.

“Centi” referred to the 1987 goal of achieving $100 million in sales (which it achieved in 1994). “Mark” recognized the company’s unique mark on and contributions to the roofing industry - all visions of entrepreneur Dunlap:

CentiMark established the first National AccountsProgram in the roofing and flooring industries in 1979 with customer Owens Illinois Forest Products (now Owen’s Brockway). National Accounts and Global Accounts continue to work with Fortune 500 companies and companies with multiple locations to provide Single Source responsibility, standardization of services and one phone call or email for customer service.

CentiMark became the first roofing contractor to achieve a 4A1 (and now the only roofing contractor with a 5A1) credit rating from Dun & Bradstreet, based on a strong credit appraisal and a net worth in excess of $50 million.

CentiMark was the first company to offer Single Source Warranties on both workmanship and materials.

CentiMark has grown through geographical expansion, not acquisition.

1990s: Diversification & ExpansionAs the company grew, CentiMark established an employee stock ownership program to reward associates for their dedication and hard work. As part owners of the company, our crews take great pride in their workmanship and customer service.Since 1991, numerous roofing magazines have recognized CentiMark as a leader in the commercial roofing industry. Every year over the past two decades, CentiMark has been either the largest (first in 1995) or second largest (first in 1991) roofing contractor based on revenue.In October 1994, CentiMark achieved Dunlap’s goal of reaching $100 million in sales in a calendar year. CentiMark was the first roofing contractor to reach that figure through internal growth, not acquisition.Designed specifically to welcome visiting customers, CentiMark’s corporate headquarters opened in 1996. On the roof and in our training room, we showcase our roofing and flooring systems, materials and accessories.We attract and retain the best and brightest people in the roofing and flooring industries. Our Corporate associates are experts in their respective fields of accounting, customer service, information technology, law, procurement and safety and risk management.

CentiMark Ltd. was established July 1, 1996, as the Canadian subsidiary of CentiMark. The first subsidiary office opened in Toronto with a goal of expanding the company’s footprint into Canada.